Real treasure chest was removed from this hole.

[ARC]

In the late 80's acording to my park ranger friends... They approached some men that were reported acting suspicious anchored on this small island ... as the rangers approached the island four men struggling to carry a large metal "chest" emerged from the brush and quickly shoved the chest on the nose of the boat... they crawled into the boat and quickly started the motor and full throtled it through the very shallow seagrass water away never to be seen again... when they went on the island they saw a large rectangular shaped hole with bits of rust and rusted dirt... It was the opinion of both rangers concerned that it was heist of some sort of old metal "chest.
This picture shows what that same hole looks like today... You cannot make much out by this picture...
So if in the area stop in and check it out.

BTW those wondering "how" I metal detected a State Park...
Park Ranger Permit / permission.
I was also a volunteered there.

 

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[Peyton Manning]

some assumptions here

maybe it was a body in the box

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

Then they were doing that backwards hah.

 

[OWK]

Nice hole. An excellent specimen.

 

[OWK]

The last hole I found was nowhere near as nice.

 

[ARC]

Saw "A" chest rather... heh well I listened to the story about that hole over and over ... I would always pry each time for details... like to trigger some detail outta him other than "chest" etc. Just cuz my mind loves the whole cool factor of it possibly actually being true.

 

[J.A.A.]

Arrc-
What is the name of this island and do you know any of the history behind its usage in years past? Pirate haven? Prohibition hideout?

Thank you in advance-
J.A.

 

[BVI Hunter]

I once found a large hole with my buddy, with nothing else around, just a perfect hole dug in the ground...

we were considering what it was I asked "so what did they do with all the soil then?"

he pondered for a moment before answering....... "maybe they buried it............"

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Tell us more, of this "park ranger permit", and how one goes about getting one/some of them.
Do you have to BE a park ranger?
I gotta a run coming up for gasparillo and boca grande pass fishing...... hhmmmm.......

 

[ARC]

Tell us more, of this "park ranger permit", and how one goes about getting one/some of them.
Do you have to BE a park ranger?
I gotta a run coming up for gasparillo and boca grande pass fishing...... hhmmmm.......

No you do not need to be a park ranger... you have to talk to the head ranger of park ... you must ask for permission to hunt certain state parks ... SOME "allow" metal detecting ... Some don't .... its wierd... there is no "general rule for all state parks... WITH THAT SAID this applies to ONLY STATE PARKS... NOT NATIONAL PARKS IN FLORIDA... Which are OFF limits to metal detecting regardless.
Anyway... if the HEAD ranger will "ok" you to detect he or she will instruct you on the rules and guidelines (where you can and cannot hunt etc) in which you must follow and you will be issued a permit after filling out a form with your information and signing that you state you will notify the park rangers immediately if you make a find of over 50 years of age.
If you do not follow the rules you will be banned from possession of a detector in that park.. and maybe worse... confiscation of equipment... charges ... who knows...
also... the "toe of dune to mean high water mark" rule applies... so no water hunting what so ever.

 

[ARC]

As for the humor concerning the "hole"... I know it does seem funny to state that the hole was used for the stash of treasure... but just so you know...not only was a chest recovered on that island... but multiple chests have been located throughout the island chains surrounding in close prox to this one... dating back 100 years ... it is not the first time nor will it be the last... it happened.
I just thought since I am new here and my whole life since childhood (46 years) has been surrounded by treasure lore fact and fiction... salvage etc. and collecting things like pictures of cool stuff thoughout... that you guys might want to see it.
I know that my picture may be "funny".. and I actually laughed... but maybe my avatar / pic may misleading as to my age... But that was taken when I was offered a job at age 12 to work for Mel Fisher ... What I am getting at is.. I would not "post" a picture of just some hole that someone told me about without some credibility to the picture.
In other words I eat sleep and breath...treasure stories ... legends... events. etc,,, and figured you might too.

A chest was "stolen from park property" in the late 80's and this is where it was for an unknown amount of time.
I have stood in front of that hole and looked at every aspect of the land and island... why in that spot... why that island.. etc etc... evidence suggests truth.

 

[ARC]

Arrc-
What is the name of this island and do you know any of the history behind its usage in years past? Pirate haven? Prohibition hideout?

Thank you in advance-
J.A.

I actually nicknamed the island "lizard key" due to all of the lizards on the island... but the actual name of the island is Sister Key... located just inside the mouth of Buncess Pass. (check it out w/ google earth)
IF YOU PLAN TO VISIT IT YOURSELF... PLEASE... do not destroy anything on or around the island... you must aproach the island from west north west side... there will be a small hidden "entrance" that you can FLOAT into.. please do not try to motor into the approach... it's very shallow and seagrass is vulnerable to your prop...TRIM IT till you aim in and get a little speed then kill motor.. if ya miss... walk it in or push pole.

 

[Salvor6]

Very interesting story. There is another island like that in Tampa Bay. Little Cockroach island is unique in that in the center, the island rises up over 6' above sea level. All the other islands around it are low and swampy. There are tree markings all over and there is a HUGE hole near the center. It is 10' across and about 6' deep. It is near a known pirate village called Gulf City. Look it up in Wikipedia.

I have a real deep seeking machine with a 2 square foot coil. Maybe we should take it out there.

 

[BigWaveDave]

Come on down to my neck of the Gulf...hunting for wheat pennies in back yards is getting stale... need to find some REAL treasure, available weekends.

 

[Salvor6]

Come on down to my neck of the Gulf...hunting for wheat pennies in back yards is getting stale... need to find some REAL treasure, available weekends.

I'm going there in the morning. Are you a diver?

 

[ARC]

Ya know it's funny... I have a few theories about many things over my years and one theory concerning "buried stashes" has been accepted amongst the few I have told it.
Most chests that were hidden "on purpose" --- meaning it was a planned stash...are very deep... on purpose... holes were dug by a mass of men on purpose... this insured that no one man or small group of men could "mutiny/defect" and before notice could retrieve the stash before notice of being gone etc. It would require that a large amount return and a days work or more....other stashes are "semi deep" ... the semi deeps are stashes that usually are the result of "hurried" or unplanned stash... meaning for one reason or another the "digger/diggers" did not plan but just picked" a location that suited the immediate need of "temp stashing" until retrieval for whatever reason they may have had.
This is why MAJOR stashes have not been found and only the rumor of them remains.
Take the island Sister Key for example... very shallow island... water would encroach in on any hole of depth... BUT deep enough to Hide till later date... NOT for security.
Islands that are "low" and small" would not be a safe or good location for a major stash. BUT perfect for the guy who just had his personal stash or someone who found someone elses stash and needed a nearby place to move it.
You see... most people believe that "pirates" and such roamed the water with ship bellies full of gold etc.
IMO was not the "general" case... furthermore evidence suggests otherwise.
They stole and stashed... keeping enough coinage etc for the ships needs and individuals would hold enough to not have there neck slit in the night for... Smart pirates etc would not have any item of direct evidence of theft... IE: anything "marked" or "trackable".... coinage etc was the goal. the marked or etc was divided and stashed until a latter date when "the dust settled" and could be smelted down.... basically their "retirement fund"... it was what the individuals who were "smart" at stealing were trying to accomplish... now this obviously was NOT always the case.
The big cache's / stuff is still out there IMO... and most historians have a good idea as to the general locations... hence why they do not allow detecting / digging in MOST areas of "interest" or "historical" OR "preserves"... ironic... the islands that hold the most promise of discovery of them are off limits.... coincidence? or ?
With all of this blah... I will end with this... They do not know WHERE either... but like I have said many times ... they have "secured" anything that may hold any promise.
Btw.. it is my belief that the "stashes" are everywhere... on private properties.

Maybe in your own back yard

 

[sabre15]

I forgot to add that less than 1/4 mile, straight in from pass to this island a large amount of treasure was found strewn on the beach after a storm,

where exactly is this? I would like to get out there and look around, myself and a few others on TN live here in Tampa, we should get together sometime and compare notes on the area.

 

[ARC]

I actually nicknamed the island "lizard key" due to all of the lizards on the island... but the actual name of the island is Sister Key... located just inside the mouth of Buncess Pass. (check it out w/ google earth)
IF YOU PLAN TO VISIT IT YOURSELF... PLEASE... do not destroy anything on or around the island... you must aproach the island from west north west side... there will be a small hidden "entrance" that you can FLOAT into.. please do not try to motor into the approach... it's very shallow and seagrass is vulnerable to your prop...TRIM IT till you aim in and get a little speed then kill motor.. if ya miss... walk it in or push pole.

Sabre15 ....

 

[ryan cidlowski]

I went To that island this week and seen the hole pretty interesting.

 

[ARC]

I went To that island this week and seen the hole pretty interesting.

Cool huh.